


Negotiating upon Return

by youcouldmakealife



Series: Follow the North Star [25]
Category: Original Work
Genre: M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-03
Updated: 2017-07-03
Packaged: 2018-11-22 22:41:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11389911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/youcouldmakealife/pseuds/youcouldmakealife
Summary: “Who you like more?” Valeri asks.“Novy!” Evan says.“You must like one more!” Valeri says.





	Negotiating upon Return

There’s a strange mixed feeling when you get called up. Excitement, foremost, but you never get called up without someone else being sent down or injured, and it’s unfortunate, your happiness hinging on someone else’s unhappiness. 

“As soon as possible,” they say, an hour before Iowa’s set to take the ice, but seem to understand Valeri’s desire to play the game, and Valeri earns himself two points before rushing from the arena in Ontario to LAX, only to find out his flight’s been delayed an hour. 

He gets in late — or early, he’s not sure which it is — goes straight from the cab to bed, and, when his alarm goes off, far too early, from his bed to the couch, where he falls asleep again, thankful it’s a travel day for the North Stars too, because for some reason an unexpected flight takes about ten times more out of him than the usual ones.

Valeri wakes up from his doze to hear the door opening, but when he sits up, considering whether it’d be funny to scare Evan or he’d just feel bad about it, he sees a familiar and much smaller figure taking his shoes off at the door. 

“Hello Harry,” he says, as deep as he can manage. It’s just funny if it’s Harry, no feeling bad included.

Harry proves him right, jumping backwards and letting out a scream and a ‘Jesus Christ!’ while clutching at his heart. Valeri can’t help but snicker.

“The hell are you doing here?” Harry demands.

“I live here,” Valeri says. “Sometimes. What are you doing here?”

“I…” Harry says.

“Novy!” Evan says, coming in the door, then crossing the room quickly to offer Valeri a hug he stands to greet. “You didn’t tell me you got called up!”

“Went straight from game to plane,” Valeri says, through a yawn. “Then to bed. Surprise?”

“Awesome surprise,” Evan says. “Not that I’m glad we lost Serrano or Samburg I mean, of course I don’t—”

“Breathe, Ev,” Harry says. It’s affectionate, which is confusing after all the complaining about Evan that Valeri’s been forced to listen to. “You’re allowed to be happy Val’s here.”

But hey. _Hey_.

“You not?” Valeri asks, affronted.

Harry rolls his eyes. “Of course I am, idiot,” he says, and that’s affectionate too.

“What’s this ‘Ev’?”, Valeri asks. “You friends suddenly?” It wouldn’t be that surprising, the kind of guy that Evan is, except he also knows Harry, and Harry doesn’t like to back down from his opinions, even if it’s something really stupid, like Die Hard 3 being better than Die Hard.

Evan and Harry look at one another, one of those looks that means secrets. Valeri has had enough of secrets on this team.

“Um,” Evan says, sounding nervous. “So we’re, uh.” He looks over at Harry again.

“Together,” Harry says, “But also Evan’s dating other people. Person. It’s complicated.” 

“What?” Valeri asks. “Together? Like—” He doesn’t know the right words, but he’s learned two fingers through a circle is universal.

“Pretty much,” Harry says.

Evan whispers something too quiet for Valeri to hear.

“What?” Harry says. “He’s not wrong!”

“Huh,” Val says.

“I guess we have some catching up to do!” Evan says with a nervous laugh, like he hasn’t sent Valeri texts on a daily basis. Valeri thinks this is a fairly big piece of news not to mention.

“How long this go on?” Valeri demands.

“Um,” Harry says. “Like a month?”

“And you not tell me?” Valeri asks. “I get hundreds of texts from you, no one tells me?”

“I haven’t sent you hundreds of texts,” Harry says, but even if he hasn’t texted Valeri as much as Evan has, he’s texted him a _lot_ , and Valeri thinks he’s officially offended now.

“We were taking it slow,” Evan says.

Harry snorts, which is something Harry did a lot around Evan all last year, but last year it was…mean, Valeri guesses. Now he does it with a bit of a smile, gives Evan this look like —

Valeri would never have seen this coming, but now that he has, it’s _adorable_.

Harry grunts when Valeri gets up to hug them, Evan raising a hand to pat him on the back. “So sweet,” Valeri tells them. “My two favorites.”

“Aww,” Evan says, and pats his back again.

Valeri has a thought, breaking through the sweetness. “What did you mean, other people?” Valeri asks. 

“That’s my cue,” Harry says, immediately pulling out of the hug. “Good to have you back, man.”

“Good to be North Star again,” Valeri says, because it is. It really is. “You leaving?” 

“Yeah, I’ll see you guys at practice tomorrow,” Harry says, then, “Have fun!”

“I need to put my stuff in my room,” Evan says, as soon as Harry’s out the door, and Valeri follows him in.

“What other people mean?” Valeri asks. “You with someone else?”

“Um,” Evan says. “Yeah, kind of. Um. Roman?”

Valeri blinks.

Evan transfers clothes from his suitcase to his laundry hamper, blushing the entire time.

“ _Roman_?” Valeri asks. “ _Our_ Roman?”

“Yeah,” Evan says.

“ _Both_?” Valeri asks.

“Yep,” Evan says, disentangling a pair of underwear from a shirt.

“At the same time?” Valeri asks.

Evan coughs. “I mean, not at the _same_ same time,” he says. “That’d be, um. Like, we’re not—”

“No threesomes?” Valeri says.

“I need to put my toothbrush in the bathroom,” Evan says, voice high, and Valeri follows him there too, because this isn’t over.

“Who you like more?” Valeri asks.

“Novy!” Evan says.

“You must like one more!” Valeri says. 

“I like them both!” Evan says. “Can you let me finish unpacking, please?” 

“Fine,” Valeri says. 

“I’m really glad you’re back,” Evan says, shooting him a smile. “I just need to unpack.”

“Is fine,” Valeri repeats. He needs to unpack too, honestly, his suitcase just sitting at the foot of his bed. He unpacks his clothes, most of them going from his suitcase to a pile on the floor, since they were at the end of a long road trip when he got called up. He’s going to need to go shopping if he’s staying up. Even if he isn’t. He’s almost out of toothpaste.

Valeri’s trying to figure out what’s definitely floor material and what’s maybe clean enough to wear when Evan appears at his doorway.

“Can I ask you a favor?” Evan asks.

“Can ask,” Valeri asks.

“Can you ask to room with Harry on the road?” Evan asks.

“Why?” Valeri asks.

“Because it’s unfair,” Evan says. “I don’t want to be unfair.”

Valeri frowns. “I am confused,” he admits.

“Like, I’m, uh. So there’s him and Roman?” Evan says. “But I share a room with Harry and it’s not fair to Roman. So. I want it to be fair.”

“Can’t make completely fair though,” Valeri says. “Can you?”

“I’m trying,” Evan says. “I just — I feel like whatever I do, it isn’t.”

“Maybe because both want to be only?” Valeri asks. Harry didn’t look happy about it, and Valeri can’t blame him. He certainly wouldn’t be if a girl he wanted to be with wanted to be with someone else, even if she wanted to be with him too.

“Victor says it’s normal, dating more than one person,” Evan says.

“Not dating though,” Valeri says. “Thought dating was deciding if you want to be serious?”

“I mean,” Evan says, then, “Yeah, kind of.”

“But you’re serious?” Valeri asks. “Want to be serious.” It isn’t coming out right, but he knows Evan isn’t the type to want anything _but_ serious.

“Like, do I want to be in a serious relationship with them?” Evan asks. “Yeah.”

“With both?” Valeri says.

Evan chews his lip.

“Just trying to understand,” Valeri says.

“No, I know,” Evan says. “I mean, yeah. I know I can’t — yeah, with both.”

“Is that fair?” Valeri asks. “Not choosing?”

“I can’t,” Evan says. “I can’t choose.”

“Not going to get easier, Connie,” Valeri says as gently as he can.

“I know,” Evan mumbles. “I just can’t — I know.”

He looks miserable, and Valeri feels bad now. “Want lunch from Brasa?” he asks. “I can take your car, go get?”

“Yeah,” Evan says. “Thanks Val.”

Valeri pats his back. “I get you extra rice,” he promises. And toothpaste. He needs to get toothpaste.

*

They don’t talk any more about Harry or Roman that day, just eat in front of the TV watching cooking shows, which Val can follow well enough even if he doesn’t catch a lot of words.

“Remember to ask management?” Evan asks on the way to practice the next morning, and honestly, Valeri had forgotten.

“Should talk to Victor about first,” Valeri says.

“Why?” Evan asks, then, “Oh! You’re right. I hope he’s back.”

The guys all want to talk to him, congratulate him, tell him they missed him, so Valeri doesn’t have a chance to talk to Victor until practice is underway. Not that he’s complaining. He will happily accept everyone giving him hugs and fist bumps whenever he enters a room, even if it’s time consuming. 

Evan said Victor had been sick — Valeri didn’t need telling, had been watching the scratches and IR with a fervency that made him feel terribly guilty, but not as guilty as he was relieved when he was called up. Even if he hadn’t known, he thinks he probably would have figured it out, because Victor does not look well.

“You are color of ice,” Valeri says. Not even this ice, a clean fresh sheet, but the kind outside close to spring thaw, gray tinged and unhealthy. He does not look like he should be skating, is Valeri’s point, though he doesn’t think he expressed it.

“Thanks, bud,” Victor says. Valeri definitely didn’t express it.

“Okay to practice?” Valeri asks.

“Docs cleared me,” Victor says, which Valeri notes is not actually a yes. He remembers Evan on the verge of throwing up during a practice last season after an illness of his own — on the verge of throwing up on Valeri specifically — and thinks he should steer clear of Victor during the rest of practice.

“Connie ask me to ask for Harry,” Valeri says. “For room,” he adds, when Victor looks confused. “Want to make sure okay with you if they put you and Connie together again.”

“I don’t mind sharing a room with Evan again,” Victor says. “As long as I don’t get sexiled I mean. Oh, sexiled means—”

“I know what sexiled means,” Valeri says. Harry has perhaps accused Valeri of it, but it wasn’t Valeri’s fault she still lived with her parents. Or the other girl who shared a dorm room. Harry was welcome to sexile him in return, he just didn’t. Perhaps that’s become a little more likely now.

Victor sighs.

“What?” Valeri asks.

“We really haven’t taught you the right English,” Victor says. “Like. At all.”

Valeri shrugs. He knows the words he needs the most. He knows almost every hockey word and how to chirp and by the end of his first month in Minnesota he knew every word he wouldn’t be able to ask a tutor. He thinks they’ve done a pretty good job.

“So Evan told you everything, right?” Victor asks.

Valeri doesn’t know what ‘everything’ means exactly, but he can guess. “Roman, Harry?” he asks.

“Thank God,” Victor says. “What do you think?”

Valeri shrugs. “Not my business,” he says.

“Good luck with that,” Victor says.

“Why everyone think my business?” Valeri asks.

“Look, if it’s my business, it’s your business,” Victor says.

“Don’t want it to be,” Valeri mutters. He already feels weird enough about going to management about room changes, even though he _wants_ to room with Harry.

“Join the club,” Victor says.

“Another club?” Valeri asks. “Like ‘Rookie Detectives’?”

“It was a metaphorical—” Victor says, then sighs. “Yeah, probably,” he says.

“Asenov, Kjeldsen, pay attention!” Coach barks.

“I just saying to Victor he not look well,” Valeri says.

Coach frowns. “Kjeldsen, maybe you should sit on the bench for a bit,” he says. “Asenov’s right.”

“You suck,” Victor hisses, but skates to the bench, then heads to the locker room before practice is even over, which makes Valeri think that maybe he does not, in fact, suck. Have to look out for your brothers if they won’t look out for themselves.

*

Valeri doesn’t even need to ask management in the end. Coach takes him aside after practice, asking if he has anything against rooming with Harry again, and Val shrugs and says he doesn’t.

Evan tells him, in front of more cooking shows, that front office sent him an email letting him know they’ve reassigned him with Victor, and Valeri assumes they’ve done the same with Harry, so he’s prepared for Harry stalking over to him during pre-game, while Valeri’s carefully spooning cheese onto his pasta.

“Did you ask to room with me?” Harry asks.

“…not really?” Valeri asks, adding another spoonful of Parmesan because Evan isn’t there to make a face at him.

“Not really?” Harry asks.

“They ask if I mind room with you,” Valeri says. “I not mind.”

Harry throws his hands up. “Why?” he asks.

“Because I not mind!” Valeri asks, which is true. He isn’t sure _why_ , but being around Harry again is comforting. He can be a jerk, but it’s in a way Valeri’s comfortable with, that makes it feel like he’s known Harry for years and years, and he doesn’t have to carefully consider his words around him, knows Harry will correct him if his English is wrong but always in a helpful way, not mean. He doesn’t make Valeri feel like he’s stupid when he gets something wrong, which some of the others do, even though Valeri knows they don’t mean to. “You prefer I ask for room with Connie?”

“Obviously not!” Harry says. 

“What the problem?” Valeri asks.

“You know exactly what the problem is,” Harry says.

“Do not,” Valeri lies.

“Yes you do!” Harry says.

“Do not,” Valeri repeats.

“You do — you are the worst!” Harry says.

“Bye Harry!” Valeri calls as he stalks off, and Harry gives him the finger without looking back. 

Valeri decides to add one last spoonful for good measure.

“That’s more cheese than pasta,” Evan says longsufferingly when Valeri sits down to eat beside him. 

“Tasty,” Valeri counters. “Harry’s mad.”

“About the room?” Evan asks.

Valeri nods while shovelling a forkful of penne into his mouth.

Evan makes a face. Valeri _knew_ he’d make the face. “Sorry,” he says.

Valeri shrugs, since his mouth is full.

“Thanks, though,” Evan says.

Valeri shrugs again while trying to get as much pasta in his mouth as possible, accidentally snorting Parmesan through his silent laughter when Evan visibly recoils.


End file.
